Online fundraiser helps feed neighbors

Thursday

WARWICK - Every year students at Warwick Valley High put on a popular fundraiser that supports several local food pantries and organizations that offer free meals.

Like a lot of other local events, the popular Empty Bowls ice cream social this year goes online.

With school closed due to the COVID-10 pandemic, Empty Bowls is holding an alternate online fundraiser featuring a series of monthly drawings for handmade pottery bowls.

This virtual fundraiser will allow the Empty Bowls team at the high school to continue its mission of helping Town of Warwick community members dealing with food insecurity - without putting anyone at risk to exposure to the virus.

The online fundraiser is open now.

Here's how it works:

Go to the Empty Bowls website (warwickvalleyemptybowls.org/virtual-fundraiser/) where you’ll see a "Donate" button.

At the end of each month, all those who have made an online donation of $10 or more during that month will be entered into a random drawing to win one of three beautiful pottery bowls, each made by a local potter.

After the school district reopens, monthly prizes will include pottery bowls made by talented Warwick Valley High School Empty Bowls Club student members.

Over the years, generous local potters have given demos and lessons for high school Empty Bowls Club members, and both adults and students have made many bowls for the organization’s annual fundraisers.

Winners will be chosen live. On the first day of each month, beginning June 1, winners will be pulled at random from the prior month’s donors on the Empty Bowls Facebook page (facebook.com/WVEmptyBowls/) .

Arrangements will be made with each monthly winner for local delivery or shipping (paid for by an Empty Bowls volunteer).